Internal combustion engine construction



June 29, 1943. M. ass].

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 27 1937 3Sheets-Sheet 1 g M I Q g 0 INVENTOB Max E BY June 29, 1943. ESSL y2,323,209

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 27, 1937 3SheetsSheet 2 M. ESSL June 29, 1943.

2,323,209 i INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION I Filed Nov. 27;1937 3 Sheets-Sheet :s

INVENTOR I Max ESSL Patented June 29, 1943 INTERNAL COIVIBUSTION ENGINECONSTRUCTION Max Essl, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments,to The Baldwin Locomotive Works, a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication November 27, 1937, Serial No. 176,872

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to internal combustion engines,especially of the Diesel type, and more particularly to an improvedcamshaft and cam follower arrangement.

In internal combustion engines of relatively large power such as iscommon with Diesel engines, it is highly desirable that the engine frameshould be as stifi" as possible consistent with minimum weight andeconomical manufacture of the engine together with having variousoperating parts of the engine readily accessible and removable forinspection, repair and assembly. The desirable result of a stiff framehas heretofore been accomplished but only at the expense of incurringdisadvantages in other respects, especially when the most desirable formof usual stiffening means is employed. Such usual means, incorporated inthe frame disclosed herein to illustrate the applicability andadvantages of my invention, includes a series of ribs extendingvertically alongside of and integrally with the cylinders and joining anouter longitudinal wall. This structure is usually employed to enclosevarious operating elements such as the camshaft, cam followers, fuelpumps and other operating parts. It is the construction and arrangementof these various elements and their accessibility for removal andreplacement or original assembly that have heretofore suffered by reasonof the frame stiffening means.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved camshaft and camfollower arrangement that is relatively simple and economical inconstruction, operation and maintenance and is readily applicable toengines of any number of cylinders while at the same time allowing theengine frames to be stiffened in the manner above described but withoutincurring the disadvantages incident thereto.

Another object is to provide an improved structural unit, for a camshaftand cam follower as well as other elements operated by the camshaft,that is highly compact and will permit not only a high degree offlexibility of application of a standardized unit to engines of varioussizes and numbers of cylinders but will also permit any damaged or wornportion of the camshaft or elements actuated thereby to be laterallyremoved from the engine without disturbing other portionsof the camshaftor engine. A further object is to provide an improved unit of theforegoing type having an improved arrangement and means for allowingremoval from the unit of several elements such as a fuel pump, an airstarting pilot valve and roller guides for the push rods.

In one specific aspect of the invention I have accomplished theforegoing'and other objects of my invention by providing a series ofvery compact identical units, one for each of several engine cylindersin line with each other, each unit having a supporting bracket carrying,in selfcontained relation therewith, a camshaft section, a fuel pump andpush rod guides together with relatively simple, positive and effectivemeans for connecting the camshaft sections together in a predeterminedtimed relation while at the same time permitting any one of the units tobe laterally removed from their connection with each other.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a six cylinder engine embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the camshaft and cam follower bracket with alloperating elements removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva tion of an engine partlybroken away to disclose my invention which in turn is partially insection to show certain details of construction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section through the engine takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with part of the cylinderstructure shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a side view of an assembled unit including a supportingbracket, a camshaft section, a fuel pump, and starting air valve;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a Y-shaped clamp for holding a fuel pump and anair pilot valve in position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse section on line l'! of Fig. 3.

The particular embodiment of the invention, such as is disclosed hereinmerely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among possibleothers that the invention might take inpractice, i shown in Fig. 1 asapplied to a conventional type of six cylinder internal combustionengine I of the reciprocating piston and cylinder crankshaft type. Theengine is preferably of the Diesel type and in accordance with myinvention may have any desired number of cylinders 2 in line with eachother. Each cylinder is provided with its own fuel pump 3, as is nowcustomary in this art, driven from a camshaft generally indicated at 4which also actuates intake and exhaust valve push rods 5 and 6 or otherelements such as the starting air pilot valve 7. The camshaft is drivenin any suitable manner, well known in the art, from and in timedrelation to the engine crankshaft.

In my invention the camshaft 4 is made in as many individual, butidentical, sections I0 as there are numbers of cylinders. Each camshaftsection is supported by its own individual bracket or block generallyindicated at H having at one of its ends a depending annular bearing |2in which an enlarged camshaft collar I3 is journalled. The other end ofthe bracket has a depending annular guide ring M in which the hub l5 ofa coupling I6 is loosely received to maintain the camshaft in assembledrelation to the bracket. The end rings I2 and I4 ar supported by themain body of bracket II, in slightly axially oifset relation thereto, bypairs of inclined arms or webs l6 and H, the arms of each pair beinglocated respectively at the front and back of the bracket. The bracketas specifically shown is provided with four vertical cylindrical boresI9, 20, 2| and 22 in which are disposed usual cylindrical roller guides23, 24 and 25 and a starting air pilot valve assembly 1 whose valve stem26 is operated by cam 21. Intake and exhaust cams 28 and 29 operateguides 23 and 24 through suitable rollers 30 and 3| carried thereby. Thefuel pump 3 is of any conventional type in which its plunger stem 32 isoperated by guide 25 through a roller 33 and a cam 34. The fuel pump 3and pilot valve 1 are held in position by a Y- shaped clamp 34', thesingle leg thereof pressing down on valve 1 and the double legs, passingon each side of push rod 5, engaging the base of fuel pump 3. A pair ofbolts 3412 are threaded into the bracket to hold the clamp. Henceremoval of clamp 34 and of push rods 5 and 6 allow upward removal of thepilot valve assembly and fuel pump as well as the roller guides. Variouspiping connections for the fuel and air are omitted for sake of clarityas these specific connections do not constitute a part of my presentinvention.

Each bracket H is, as shown in Fig. 4, independently secured by bolts 35to bosses formed on the side of each cylinder 2. The holes for bolts 36are placed in transverse alignment with bores I9, 20, 2| and 22 wherebyupon removing the roller guides from bracket H, as just above described,the bolts 36 are inserted or removed through outer openings 31 alignedwith the bolt holes in the back side of the bracket. The foregoingarrangement of bolting the bracket to the cylinders permits the same tohave maximum compactness lengthwise of the camshaft inasmuch as noadditional axial space is required for the bolts.

To connect the camshaft sections together and also to allow any one ofthe assembled units to be independently laterally removed from orassembled with the engine without disturbing any other units, I haveprovided connecting means,- generally indicated at 40, located betweenadjacent ends of the camshaft. Specifically this means includes anexternal gear 4| secured to one end of each camshaft section while theadjacent end of the next camshaft section has an internal coupling gearl6 which receives the teeth of gear 4| thereby to provide a directdriving connection therewith. The hub I5 is keyed to the camshaft andreleasably held thereto by a pair of transverse bolts 44 although othersuitable clamping means may be employed. Hub I5 is preferably axiallysplit on one side to permit the same to be tightly clamped to thecamshaft or, upon removal of bolts 44, to be axially moved to the rightto separate the coupling connection. When this connection is broken, thecamshaft is maintained in its normal axial positionwith respect tobracket H by a segmental retaining collar 46 disposed in the annularspace between bearing collar I3 and gear 4| and secured by bolts 41,Figs. 5 and 7, to the end of bracket II. The left end of the camshaft isprevented from sagging, when uncoupled, by hub l5 being wholly receivedin guide ring |4.

The foregoing unitary arrangement of the camshaft section and bracket,together with the associated elements thereof including the couplinggears 4| and I6, is adapted to be laterally removed from the enginewhile the other corresponding units remain in position on the engine.This is accomplished merely by removing bolts 36, Fig. 4, as previouslydescribed and removing coupling bolts 44 of the unit to be removedtogether with removal of the corresponding coupling bolts of theadjacent right hand unit, the internal gear elements l5 of these twounits then being moved to the right. Thereupon the camshaft and camfollower unit may be bodily laterally removed through suitable openings50, Fig. 4, in the engine side wall 5| and similarly an assembly unitmay be placed in position and bolted to the cylinder wall 2. Thisremoval or insertion of the assembly units may be made at any one of thecylinders as shown in Fig. 1. Suitable plates 55 cover the openings 50.

The foregoing arrangement not only facilitates standardized manufactureof the identical assembly units and the assembling of the same with theengine as well as expediting the inspection, repair and replacement ofany one of the units without in any way requiring removal or adjustmentof the remaining units, regardless of which unit may be laterallyremoved from the engine, but in addition the series of vertical framestiffening ribs 53 which connect cylinders 2 with an outer frame wall 5|can be used with complete freedom from incurring any of the usualdisadvantages resulting therefrom. The partition walls 53 and outer wall5| add considerable rigidity and stiffness to the engine frame as theseribs are preferably formed as continuations of reinforcing crankcaseribs 55, Fig. 3. Suitable openings 51, Fig. 4, are formed in ribs 53through which the camshaft extends while any other suitable openings 58may also be formed in ribs 53 to allow pipes of various kinds extendingtherethrough.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided anextremely'simple, effective and cooperativ arrangement of elements thatis conducive not only to minimum cost of production consistent withinsuring quality workmanship but is also conducive to expeditiousassembly, repair and replacement, all of which is additionally conduciveto allowing an engine frame structure to be employed for insuringmaximum stiffness consistent with minimum weight.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a framewith a multiplicity of cylinders in line with each other, of a pluralityof similar camshaft and supporting bracket assembly units, each unitincluding a bracket having a bearing in which its camshaft isjournalled, axial thrust means carried by said bracket for maintainingits camshaft in a predetermined axial position, means for removablysupporting the brackets by the engine frame so that the unit camshaftsare in axial alignment with each other, removable coupling means forconnecting adjacent ends of said camshafts and adapted upondisconnection to allow lateral removal of the assembly unit whileallowing the other units to remain in position, and a guide carried bysaid bracket to support a unit camshaft when removed from the engine.

2. The combination with an engine frame having a multiplicity ofcylinders in line with each other, of a plurality of similar camshaftand supporting bracket assembly units in which each bracket has a singlebearing at one end for rotatably supporting its camshaft and a guide atthe other end for maintaining the shaft substantially in operativerelation to the bracket when removed from the engine, means forlaterally removably securing said bracket to the engine, and couplingmeans for removably connecting adjacent ends of the unit camshaftswhereby upon disconnection of the couplings and bracket the assemblyunit may be laterally removed from the engine.

3. The combination with an engine frame having a multiplicity ofcylinders in line with each other, of a plurality of camshaft assemblyunits one for each of said cylinders, each unit including a supportingbracket having a camshaft section and a plurality of bores whose axesare substantially normal to the camshaft axis, push rod guides disposedin said bores for operation by the camshaft section, means forsupporting said unit brackets by said frame so that the unit camshaftsare in axial alignment, and coupling means for removably connectingadjacent ends of the unit camshafts whereby any given unit may belaterally removed from the engine upon disconnection of the supportingmeans and of the couplings at opposite ends of the camshaft of thatgiven unit.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized in thatsaid brackets have transversely aligned openings whose axes intersect atleast certain of said bores and said bracket supporting means includesbolts adapted upon removal of the push rod guides to be moved throughsaid transverse openings for attachment to or removal from the engineframe.

5. The combination with an engine frame having a multiplicity ofcylinders in line with each other, of a plurality of camshaft assemblyunits each having a bracket provided with a plurality of bores, acamshaft journalled in said bracket with its axis substantially normalto the axes of said bores, push rod guides disposed in certain of saidbores and a fuel pump guide supported in another of said bores, saidguides being actuated by said camshaft, and a fuelpump supported on saidbracket so as to be operated by the fuel pump guide.

6. The combination with an engine frame having a multiplicity ofcylinders in line with each other, of a plurality of camshaft assemblyunits each having a supporting bracket and a plurality of bores, acamshaft journalled in said bracket with its axis substantially normalto the axes of said bores, push rod guides in two of said bores, and afuel pump and an air starting pilot valve associated with the other ofsaid bores and arranged in alternate relation with the bores containingthe push rod guides, and means pressing down on to said fuel pump and onto said pilot valve for holding the same in position on said bracket.

'7. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized in thatsaid unit brackets comprise a body portion in which said plurality ofbores are disposed, and a bearing supported by and depending from saidbody portion for journalling the camshaft section.

8. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized in thatsaid brackets include a body portion having a bearing dependentlysupported from one end thereof for journalling a camshaft section, and acamshaft guide dependently supported from the other end of said bodyportion.

9. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized in thatsaid brackets include a body portion having a bearing dependentlysupported from one end thereof for journalling a camshaft section, and acamshaft guide dependently supported from the other end of said bodyportion, said camshaft guide having a bore of such size as totelescopically receive a portion of said coupling means upondisconnection thereof from the next adjacent camshaft section.

10. The combination with an engine frame having a multiplicity ofcylinders in line with each other, of a camshaft, a plurality ofsubstantially similar camshaft and push rod brackets each constitutingan individual unit bodily separable from each other and from said frame,each bracket being provided with a plurality of bores whose axes aresubstantially normal to the camshaft axis and in which push rod guidesare slidably disposed for operation by the camshaft, push rods havingfree swivel connections with said guides whereby the axes of said boresand the respective push rods may be angularly misaligned relative toeach other while still maintaining a completely normal operativerelation between the rods and their respective guides, means forindividually removably supporting each of said brackets on said framewhereby each bracket independently of one another and of said push rodsmay be supported and positioned on said frame, and each bracket havingas a self-contained rigid part thereof a single bearing for supportingsaid camshaft, the bracket overhanging said bearing so thatsubstantially all portions of the bracket are in overhanging relation tothe bearing whereby the axis of any bearing and its bracket may beangularly misaligned relative to the other brackets and hearings to theextent that the clearance of the single bearings allows twisting oftheir respective brackets relative to the camshaft.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 further characterized in thatthe means for supporting said brackets includes a surface on said frameand a cooperating surface on each bracket, said surfaces of the frameand brackets lying in a plane normally parallel to the camshaft axis.

12. The combination set forth in claim 10 further characterized in thatthe means for supporting said brackets includes a surface on said frameand a cooperating surface on each bracket, and said surfaces of' theframe and brackets being fiat and extending longitudinally of the frameand lying in a plane normally parallel to the camshaft axis.

MAX ESSL.

